


Beneath The Milky Twilight

by moderatelybowling



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, idiot boys being oblivious, way too many italics and parentheses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-05 18:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moderatelybowling/pseuds/moderatelybowling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since they met, it’s been a tradition for Jim and Bones to hike out into the middle of a field and watch the stars. Bones realizes that he's in love during one of these nights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beneath The Milky Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> so i usually end up making a playlist for fics so that i have something to listen to while i write, and i decided to put this one up on 8tracks!!! here's the link if youre interested in listening!!!!  
> http://8tracks.com/bowlingforstew/beneath-the-milky-twilight

It’s a warm July night when Bones realizes that he’s in love. It’s not the night itself that makes him realize, although it is a particularly nice night. It’s one of those rare July nights where it’s just warm enough to be comfortable, but there’s enough of a chill to get away with wearing jeans. Bones is lying in the middle of a field with Jim (because when _isn’t_ he with Jim nowadays?), stretched out on the blanket that he’s started keeping in his truck.

It’s been a tradition of theirs since they met, Jim a nervous freshman and Bones an already jaded sophomore, to hike out into the middle of a field and watch the stars at least once a week. It’s a tradition that has become so ingrained in Bones that whenever they’re forced to miss these nights for too long, he feels it like an itch under his skin. He’s knows that it’s even harder for Jim. Bones swears to god that Jim must’ve been _made_ for the stars. The kid can stay out for hours, saying nothing, just staring up. Most people assume that he’s just really into astronomy, but Bones knows the truth. Although Jim’s never voiced how much he truly loves the stars, Bones can see it in his eyes. Sometimes, when he glances over the blanket at Jim and sees the pure _yearning_ on his face, it makes his chest ache. It’s the thought of that look that gets Bones out in this field even in freezing temperatures (and when the hell did Jim become so important to him that he’ll brave the cold for the little shit?). That look is the reason why the first thing Bones did when he got his truck was to carefully pack up their blanket, pick up Jim, and drive to the most remote field that he could find. Seeing the look of pure joy on Jim’s face when he saw the stars that night, their glow the only light for miles, was worth freezing his ass off for.

So here he is two years later, laying in a field in the middle of nowhere, all because of Jim Kirk. It’s quiet, the only sound their soft breathing and the muffled sound of the crickets and katydids. The soft glow of the stars and the blinking of the fireflies are the only light that they can see. The fireflies have always secretly been one of Bone’s favorite parts of these nights. They’ve always reminded him of the stars, creating their own little galaxy around him and Jim.

Speaking of Jim, Bones is snapped out of his thoughts when he feels his friend inch closer, mumbling something that sounds suspiciously like “cold”. Jim turns towards him and pouts when Bones snorts.

“What? It’s cold!”

Bones can’t help but smile at how defensive he sounds. Bones is completely happy being in just a t-shirt, so he shrugs out of his flannel and tosses it at Jim’s chest before he can get any more defensive. Jim’s still huffing as he puts it on, but Bones can tell that he’s secretly pleased. Jim is always trying to steal his clothes nowadays. He thinks it's a bit weird, but over the years he’s learned to just roll with Jim’s quirks. He’s also learned to glare viciously at anyone who decides to _not_ roll with Jim’s quirks. His nearly permanent scowl and reputation of taking shit from no one (except Jim of course, god help him) means that a glare has always been enough to get people to leave Jim alone.

Happy now that he’s wrapped up in Bones’s shirt (which is  _way_ too big for him, Bones really doesn’t understand why he likes wearing his clothes so much), Jim turns his gaze back to the sky, becoming completely entranced again. Bones knows that he should do the same, but for some reason he can’t stop staring at Jim, at the way that the moonlight is falling on his face. Bones takes in the places where the light is throwing shadows, softly illuminating the curve of Jim’s clavicle and making his eyelashes look even darker. He stares at the way that the starlight is glinting off of Jim’s eyes, turning those electric blue eyes into something softer, more peaceful. Bones can’t stop staring at Jim, thinking about how there are goddamn _galaxies_ in those eyes, and oh god, what the hell is that feeling in his chest? Bones starts to panic quietly, because what the _hell_ McCoy its just _Jim_ get it the _hell together_.

Jim must notice a change in Bones’s breathing, or maybe he just knows him well enough to know when something’s wrong. Either way, he turns his head towards Bones, and he looks at him with those eyes, and that’s when Bones realizes. He panics even more, because _holy shit he’s in love with his best friend_. In _love_ with him. Even worse, he’s going to college in a few months and _leaving Jim_. Jim, who makes stupid space puns and fawns over Bones when he’s sick and is allergic to literally _everything_ and has freckles dusted over his shoulders. Jim, who he is _in love with_. He distantly registers Jim saying his name, his brow furrowed, but Bones is way too lost in his own terrible, panicked world to respond.

“ _Bones!_ ” Jim sounds panicked too now, and Bones finally snaps out of it, meeting his eyes. Jim’s sitting up, leaning over Bones with a worried expression on his face.

“Sorry, Jim, got distracted for a minute.” Bones tries to smile to calm Jim down, but he knows that he’s not buying it. Jim just looks even more upset now, still hovering over Bones and biting his lip. And _god_ , how did Bones not realize how goddamn smitten he is with Jim before? He can’t stop staring at his mouth, at the way his teeth are worrying his bottom lip. And what the _hell_ kind of friend is Bones that he’s got a nervous, worried Jim Kirk hovering over him and all that he can focus on is his mouth?

Bones starts trying to calm himself down because this is getting _way_ out of hand and this is entire situation is going to be hard to explain already. Jim seems to pick up on the fact that the worst of Bones’s freak out is over, but he still seems worried. Bones finally tears his gaze away from his mouth and meets Jim’s eyes.

“...Bones?” Jim says again, but this time its barely audible, just a whisper of a question. Bones’s gaze falls back to his mouth as he says it, and god does he love the way Jim says his name. He hated the nickname at first, but over the year’s its grown on him. Everyone else just calls him McCoy, but to Jim, since that very first day, he’s always been Bones. He’s always hated it when other people tried to call him by his nickname, but he never quite understood why. He does now.

Jim catches him staring at his mouth this time, but before Bones can freak out _even more_ , he sees something flicker over Jim’s face, making his mouth part a little in surprise. Before Bones can freak out even more, Jim says his name again.

“ _Bones_.” He says it more urgently this time, as if he’s trying to convey something deeply important. Bones has no idea what it is, but then Jim’s hand is coming up to cup his face and he’s leaning forward hesitantly like he isn’t quite sure that he’s doing the right thing. He stays there, leaning over Bones, who is still silently panicking. Bones’s eyes widen as he stares up at him, scared and confused and just the slightest bit hopeful. Jim meets his eyes, and he looks scared too, but much more hopeful. He also looks suspiciously red, even in the dim light.

“Are you _blushing_ , kid?”

“Shut _up_ , Bones! We’re having a moment!”

And just like that, the spell is broken. Bones feels his chest loosen and his breathing slow, because it’s just Jim. It’s just him and Jim under the stars, just like they should be. He grins up at Jim, and carefully props himself up onto his elbows. Jim’s still staring at him, but his eyes flutter closed as Bones carefully closes the distance between them. The kiss is soft, unhurried. Bones isn’t even surprised at how they fit together like they were made for each other, because who the hell else would Bones have been made for?

They stay like that, trading soft kisses, until Jim pulls back. Bones meets his eyes again, and he feels the breath get punched out of him. He recognizes the look that Jim’s giving him. It’s the same look that he wears when he looks at the stars, like they’re the only thing he’s ever wanted. And now he’s looking at _Bones_ like that. Bones surges forward and crushes their mouths together again, frantic this time. Jim’s caught off-guard at first, but soon he’s kissing him back just as fiercely.

When Jim finally pulls back to breathe, the first thing out of Bones’s mouth is a rushed, breathless “I love you.”

Jim looks shocked for a moment, and then suddenly he’s laughing. Bones starts to panic again, worried that he’s read the situation wrong, but before he can freak out too much Jim is leaning forward again. He’s still grinning as he mutters “Took you long enough” and presses another soft kiss against Bones’s lips. When he pulls back, he’s wearing a soft smile.

“I love you too, Bones.” And then they’re just staring each other, both wearing matching lovestruck grins. Eventually Jim breaks their staring match to flop back down onto Bones’s chest, muttering about being cold again. Bones grins at the lie, but gives him what he wants instead of calling his bluff. He wraps his arms around Jim, letting him pillow his head on his shoulder. Jim hums happily, pressing a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw.

They stay like that for hours, wrapped up in each other, content in their own little universe of fireflies and stars.

✩-✩-✩

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
